Welder&#39;s mask or helmet



Dec. 21, 1943. E. s. HEBELER WELDERS MASK OR HELMET Filed July 16, 1941 INVENTOR. Edward S. -Hebeler Patented Dec. 21, 1943 WELDERS MASK R HELD/.EET

Edward S. Hebeler, Williamsville, N.

Y., assigner of one-half to Unit Rays, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application July 16, 1941, Serial No. 402,591

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of welding and more particularly to what are known in that art as Welders masks or helmets and which are used by those performing metal welding and cutting operations for the purpose of shielding their eyes from the impact of the brilliant rays emitted dur.- ing the operations of electric and torch welding, as well as during the operations of torch cutting.

Some of the masks or helmets, such as are usually employed by those engaged in such welding and cutting operations, have been provided with a protective shield of transparent material, such as glass or nre-resistant transparent plastic material, which will enable the operator to position his welding rod or his torch with reference to the work and also protect his face and eyes against impact by the hot scale which has been produced by the cutting or welding operation and which it is desirable to remove promptly after such operation.

Prior masks or helmets with which I am familiar have been provided, in addition to this transparent shield, with a shield of partly opaque colored material capable of protecting the eyes of the operator against the brilliance of the light produced by the welding or cutting operation and have also been provided with means whereby this additional glare-proof shield may be moved into and out of register with the protective shield. However, in all of the masks so equipped with which I am familiar, the means for interposing the glare-proof shield between the eyes of ,the operator and the work involve the use of mechanism which is liable to cause displacement of the 'welding rod or torch with reference to the work..`

The general purpose and object of my invention is to provide, for a mask or helmet such as described, means whereby the glare-proof shield may be so interposed between the eyes of the operator and the work without liability to disturb the position of the welding rod or torch with reference to the work. The present preferred means whereby I accomplish this object will now be described in connection with the drawing forming part hereof, wherein Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a frame, adapted to be mounted in the front of a standard type of Welders mask or helmet, and having my invention incorporated therein; Fig. 2 a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, portions of the mask or helmet to which the frame is attached being shown by dot and dash lines; Fig. 3 a sectional view cor.- responding to the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 a detail in perspective of the latch element and its operating latch plate by means of which the glare-proof shield is held out of the field of vision of the operator while he is not engaged in the welding or cutting operation.

Describing the parts by reference characters, I0 denotes generally parts of the front of a mask or helmet; and extending across a front vision opening therein and attached thereto isY a frame comprising an upper member II, a bottom member I2, I2a and side members I3.

I 4 denotes the side members of a frame, the said members being shown as engaging the side members i3; and the side members of both frames, as well as the top and bottom members I I and I2 of the former frame, are held against adjacent portions of the mask or helmet I0, as by means of short bolts I6.

The inner ends of the side members I3 and I4 are shaped to provide channeled guides I1 therebetween for the sides of the glare-proof shield, to be described hereinafter. These channeled guides merge with an upwardly transverse channeled seat I'IiL having a bead I'Ib therein of cushioning material, such as soft rubber. I8 denotes additional side members sceured in any convenient manner (as by welding), to the outer sides of the channeled guides I'l and providing, with the outer sides of these guides, seats for the side edges of the transparent shield I5. The upper edge of this transparent shield is received within an outwardly convex flange I9si projecting downwardly from a horizontal ange I9 to which the channeled guide Il is shown as secured, as by welding.

The bottom of the transparent shield is mounted within an outwardly concave vertical ange 20a projecting from a horizontal base ilange 20 which may be conveniently carried by and at the top of a cover plate 2| behind which the glareproof shield is retained when not in use. The side members I4 are preferably formed as upward extensions of the cover plate 2|, which is secured to the sides I3 and I4 and, with them, to the adjacent portions of the body of the mask or f helmet by the bolts I6.

It will be noted that both the top member II and the bottom member I2, I 2a, are outwardly curved and that the portion I2 of the said bottom member slopes inwardly or rearwardly with mask or helmet for the purpose of conforming to the contour of the latter.

22 denotes the eye-protecting pane of a glareproof shield, which pane may be made of glass or fire-resistant plastic material, the said pane being mounted in any suitable frame, the latter ,rounds the guide rod with in engagement with the pad the body ofthe latch'plate,

rmask or helmetis'in y head of the wearer, either or both shields will be linterposed between Ishown in Fig. 1 and rtioned his welding electrode or torch in the de- 'sired position with reference to the work, the resistance of the spring 2 including channeled top and bottom members 23, 24 and channeled side members 25 which are slidably mounted within the guides I1.

26 denotes a vertical guide rod located centrally between the sides of the frame thus far described and having its opposite ends mounted in the flanges I9 and |22. 21 denotes an operating member forv pulling the glare-proof shield downwardly behind the -cover 2|. This Voperating member comprises a vertical portion having a nger engaging portion 21a at its lower end and having its upper end extending horizontally inwardly, as shown at 21.b and connected with the upper channeled member 23 of the framework for the glare-proof shield. The operating ineinber 21 is located centrally between the sides of to its operative position. This interception of the glare-proof shield between the eyes of the operator and the work can be accomplished without the necessity for using either of his hands or for so moving his head or his hands as to alect the starting position in which the welding electrode or torch may have been placed by him.

At the end of the welding or cutting operation, the operatormer'ely pulls 'downwardly upon the finger piece 21a until the top of the glare-proof shield has been brought below the latch 30a, whereupon the latter will be moved into locking engagement with the top of said shield by means of the spring 33.

The means shown and described herein for au- Y 'tomatically-interposing the glare-proof shield bethe frame and has an aperture throughpthe horil thereof through which the A coiled spring y28 surits lower end bearing against the ange I2a and its upper end against the inwardly extending portion 21b of the operating member 21 and, when unrestrained, operates to raise the glare-proof shield 22 into the position where it will be interposed between the eye'of the operator andthe shield l5, wlith its upper edge For the purpose of retaining the `glare-"proef .shield in the operativeV position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and for permitting it to be raised, when desired, by the spring 28, have provided the following means: 29 denotes a base liange extending partly across the back oi the main frame and having sides 23a extending therefrom and s'ecured in any suitable manner to the Vside members |3. Each of the sides 29B is provided at -its 'ihner edge with an angular flange comprising a zontal portion 21b guide rod 26 extends.

rearwardly projecting flange 23b from the liront edge of each lof which there projects an inwardly and vertically extending flange 29u. 33 denotes 'what I have designated a latch plate, having a 'main body provided with forwardly projecting lugs 3| near the top thereof, each lug havin'g'an opening Sla for the reception of a pivot'r'od 32, which extends through Vthe openings of Y'Sai'dliigs and is mounted in the opposed side flanges 29h. Surrounding the said rod is a coiled'torsionspring -."3l'1aving one end thereof anchored to onefof the flanges 23C and its opposite end pressing against below lthe said rod. The latch plate is provided at its uppere'nd with a latch proper, 33a, which is adapted't'ooverhang the upper end of the frame of the lglareproof shield and to normally retain thesaid shield in the depressed position shown in Figs. 2 ands.

The parts are so proportioned that, whenthe its operative positionontlie the eyes of the operator and the work, with the mouth of the operator located `adjacent tothe Vlower portion of the latch-plate 3D, the said latch plate being so proportioned-as to provide an extensive area for the interception of the breath emitted through the lips of fth'eop- Y, -eraton VAssuming that the parts are in the `'positions that the operator has posi- 33 is so light that the operator, by emitting a sharp puff or breath'from the latch plate to be rocked the top 'of the tween the eyes of the operator and the work is simple in construction, economical of production, and is particularly eicient in enabling the same to be used without the employment of either of the hands of the `operator and without disturbing the position of the welding electrode or torch withreference to the work.

Having thus described my invention, what I Aclaim is:

'1-. In l-a welders masker yhelmet having a vision opening 'in the front thereof, guides located adjacent to each 'side of said opening and extending below the -same,-a glare-proof shield reciprocably mounted in said guides and comprising an eyeprotecting pane adapted 'to -be moved there'along upwardly into registration with said opening and downwardly out of registration with said opening, spring means tending and adapted to Amove said shield upwardly thereby to bring said pane in to registration with said opening, and releasable means for retaining Vsaid shield below and out of registration `with said opening, saidreleas- 'able means comprising alatch-element arranged to be moved into and out of engagement with a portion'of the shield Vwhen the latter is in its lowered position, and a pivotally supported operating member connected Awith said element and extending downwardly rearwardly of 'said "shield, when the latter is in `its lowered position, and in front of and in 'proximity tothe mouth of the operator using the said mask'or helmet, and yield- 'able means engaging the said operating member. 'thereby to normally holdthe latch element inen- 'g'ag'ement with'thesaidportion ofthe said shield 'when the latter is in such lowered position.

l2. In'a welders mask or helmet having avision opening in the f rontthereof, guides located vadjacent to eachside of said openingand extending below 'the same, 'a Yglare-:proof vshield reciprocably 4mounted in said guides and comprising 'an eyeprotectingp'ane adapted vto be moved therealong upwardly intoregistration with said openin'g'and downwardly out of registration'with-said opening, spring means tending "and'adapted tomove said shield'upwardly thereby tobring said pane into `registration with lsaid opening, and l-releasable means for retaining said `shieldbelow andout-of registration with said opening, said vreleasable means -comprising -a fpivotally Isupported latch Vplate extending `downwardlyrearwardlyof said shield when the latter isin its lowered yposition `and havinga portion of extensive area located in 'front oft-and in proximitytothe mouth` of theop- `erator usingthesaid'mask or helmet, a'latch-on the upperfendiofsaidlatch plate adapted'toenlatter wm be elevated its ga'ge' the upper-'edge ofthe lshield'when the'latter iis `'in 'its lowered positi'on, and `spring means enga'ging the latch plater andholding thelatch in 'a position to engage the upper edge of the said shield when the latter is in such lowered position.

3. In a welders mask or helmet having a Vision opening in the front thereof, guides located adjacent to each side of said opening and extending below the same, a glare-proof shield reeiprocably mounted in said guides and comprising an eyeprotecting pane adapted to be moved therealong upwardly into registration with said opening and downwardly out of registration with said opening, spring means connected to said shield for moving the same upwardly thereby to bring said pane into registration with said opening, and releasable means for retaining said shield below and out of registration with said opening against the action of said spring, said releasable means comprising a latch element, means pivotally supporting the said latch element in position to engage a portion of the said shield when the latter is in its lowered position, an operating member connected to said latch element and located rearwardly of said shield when the latter is in its lowered position, and a spring engaging the said operating member thereby to press the latch element into engagement with the said portion of the said shield.

EDWARD S. HEBELER. 

